With drought conditions accelerating, water management has become a critical issue facing growers. CropX, an AgTech company focused on adaptive irrigation software, announced that it has raised $9 million in financing. The software increases crop yield while providing water and energy cost savings.

"Our service saves up to 25 percent of the water and energy used in irrigation of large fields," the company states on its website.

The CropX system automatically analyzes the water needs of different parts of each field based on topography, soil structure and current moisture. The software uses advances in the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data to transform traditional farming techniques.CropX can help cut water use by as much as 25 percent.

In California alone it was estimated that in 2014 more than 500,000 acres were fallowed because of the drought. Some are estimating that number at more than 620,000 for this year.

“The U.S. drought is a growing problem that we must tackle head on," Isaac Bentwich, chief executive officer of CropX, said in a press release. "The farming industry is struggling to manage rising energy costs and restricted water supplies, while trying to decrease water waste and increase crop yields. Our simple software service helps farmers easily grow more with less — and eliminates unnecessary water usage.”

Growers simply download the mobile app and place three wireless sensors in the ground. These sensors continuously send soil readings to the cloud, where the patent-pending CropX software determines how to effectively irrigate different parts of the field based on pattern-recognition analysis and revolutionary algorithms. Growers can self-install the system without expensive infrastructure or significant consulting input during the installation process.

The $9 million investment will be used to expand the CropX team and scale the company to meet the increasing need among growers for low-cost and simplified, remote control of their irrigation. It will also fund new product development including controls in nutrition, plant protection, and planting and harvesting prediction.

“Before CropX, there was no cost-effective way to control our irrigation infrastructure,” noted Mike Mills, a Missouri grower and CropX customer. “We are now able to accurately and easily manage our irrigation and make real-time adjustments — all from a smartphone and across multiple farms and fields. CropX’s solution allows us to lower our water and energy usage.”

CropX’s product was developed by a team of world-leading scientists and technology experts in Israel, a global leader in water conservation technology, and New Zealand, and was validated on-farm over the past five years.